After a split vote by non-abstaining members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council on whether or not to allow the city to move forward with a proposal to relocate Lexington’s government center to 100 Midland Ave., current site of the Lexington Herald-Leader building, and enter into negotiations with developer CRM Companies, Mayor Jim Gray cast the deciding vote to place the motion onto the docket and continue with the process.
As outlined by Vice Mayor Steve Kay at beginning of the discussion, the council must first vote to place an item on the docket that will allow the administration to enter into negotiations with CRM with regard to the fit-out and long-term lease of the property, among other details. If approved following both a first and second reading, the administration could then enter into negotiations on the property and come back to the council with a final proposal, which would then be placed on the docket for a first and second reading.
Numerous councilmembers spoke both for and against the motion during a nearly hour-long discussion during the August 21 work session. Noting the sparsely populated council chambers, councilmember Bill Farmer urged the council to allow the item to be placed on the docket and for the discussion to continue, saying it was “important for transparency.”
Councilmember Jake Gibbs questioned the appropriateness of the proposed location, citing the three-way intersection of Main, Midland and East Vine streets as dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists as well as the effectiveness of public-private partnerships, among other concerns.
Councilmember Susan Lamb raised financial concerns during her remarks, saying that the proposal “does not support the fiscal future of our city.”
Citing his extensive experience in the construction industry and the current government building’s untenable conditions, as well as past experience with the city’s years-long search for a suitable government center and cautioning against the financial ramifications of waiting, Mayor Gray urged the council to move forward with the process during his remarks shortly before a vote was taken, saying that the parameters for doing so are “arguably as clear as any project I’ve even seen; and doing something is better than doing nothing.”
Councilmembers Amanda Mays Bledsoe, Fred Brown, Bill Farmer Jr., Joe Smith and Kevin O. Stinnet, along with Vice Mayor Steve Kay, voted “yes” on the motion, while councilmembers James Brown, Jake Gibbs, Peggy Henson, Susan Lamb, Richard Maloney and Jennifer Mossotti all voted “no.” This created a six-to-six tie that, according to protocol, allowed Mayor Gray to cast the deciding vote. Councilmembers Angela Evans, Kathy Plomin and Preston Worley have recused themselves from the process and the discussion.
The council is expected to hear a first reading of the motion during its work session on August 30.